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Sunday, April 26, 2009

Finding the Right Non-Clinical Opportunity

I had a nice chat yesterday with someone who decided that clinical medicine was not the right fit. This individual is currently looking for various types of opportunities and may have some opportunities within pharma. We chatted for a while and I really hope that he/she gained some insights from our conversation. I emphasized the value of social networking. I don't wish to disclose additional information about this person or get into details about this individual's reasons for leaving clinical medicine. This person did have residency experience, so that's always an advantage when one decides to pursue non-clinical opportunities. I always try to encourage medical students to give residency a chance before completely transitioning out of the clinical world.

Physicians and other healthcare professionals choose not to pursue clinical medicine for a variety of reasons. I'm happy to provide my insights that I've gained over the years through my personal experience and also through meeting individuals who now work in different types of non-clinical settings. If you'd like to correspond with me, I encourage you to join me on Twitter and send me a message via e-mail.

What about Research as a Non-clinical medical job?I know research is a very wide field but, I've always read that a lot of people (Physicians) that achieve a successfully career in Pharma/Biotech industry started as a researcher and then become a Director/Manager/CEO etc. Starting in the research arena is a good idea? Of course after a medical residency.

I'm a pharmacist, but I'd love to encourage other health care professionals to look into non-clinical jobs. I am a medical information specialist in Pharma after pursuing a drug information residency. I love my current work in Pharma and my past experiences in managed care. I encourage HCPs to spend some time looking into non-clinical careers to see if they are right for you.

Thanks, Dr. Kim, for starting this blog! I'll be sure to share it with my students.